Anika
Girl name · #957 in 2025 · Rare
Anika ranks #957 among American girls' names as of 2025, with 269 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #581, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 6,691 girls born in 2025 was named Anika.
The 64-year story
Anika first appears in the Social Security records in 1961, when 5 girls received the name. Its peak came in 2006, when 642 girls were named Anika — good for #484 that year. Today's parents encounter it on its way down the popularity curve, which for many parents is exactly the appeal. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Anika per year. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Anika against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Anika in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Anika is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Anika will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Anika is most common
Geography matters for names, and Anika is no exception. Adjusted for how many girls are born in each state, Anika is most common in WA (0.6 per 1,000), PA (0.3 per 1,000), NJ (0.3 per 1,000), CA (0.3 per 1,000), NC (0.2 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.2 per 1,000 girls. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Anika is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Anika
Statistically, parents drawn to Anika tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Annika, Akira, Alexa, Ayana, and Mika.
AnnikaAkiraAlexaAyanaMikaAliyaAniyaMalaika
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Anika | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 269 | #955 |
| 2024 | 314 | #860 |
| 2023 | 287 | #923 |
| 2022 | 339 | #827 |
| 2021 | 325 | #847 |
| 2020 | 361 | #753 |
| 2019 | 420 | #691 |
| 2018 | 405 | #712 |
| 2017 | 503 | #599 |
| 2016 | 520 | #589 |
| 2015 | 523 | #581 |
| 2014 | 593 | #520 |
| 2013 | 522 | #560 |
| 2012 | 501 | #583 |
| 2011 | 510 | #570 |
| 2010 | 541 | #541 |
| 2009 | 565 | #534 |
| 2008 | 535 | #576 |
| 2007 | 614 | #515 |
| 2006 | 642 | #484 |
| 2005 | 613 | #496 |
| 2004 | 615 | #479 |
| 2003 | 612 | #481 |
| 2002 | 538 | #509 |
| 2001 | 455 | #567 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Anika a popular girl name?
Anika ranked #957 among girls in 2025 with 269 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #581.
When was the name Anika most popular?
Anika peaked in 2006, when 642 American girls received the name (ranked #484 that year). Since 2006 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Anika?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 6,691 newborn American girls was named Anika. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "rare".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.